Chapter Fifty-Three: My New Apartment (~jinghan)

I was pretty excited about seeing my new apartment that I’ll be living in for the next 9/10 months. Having never lived away from home I was determined to enjoy the freedom and develop the new skills that come with this new responsibility. I got the key on Thursday but it wasn’t really until Friday that I really spent the night there. Of course, as is the way of life, nothing is always exactly as you imagine. (I guess life would not be quite so interesting otherwise.) Here is how it went.

I hear the pleasing click of the lock as I unlock the door. And I lock the door behind me as I go inside. For some reason, this makes me feel less secure rather than more. My flatmate is not around tonight; she is spending the weekend at her home in Berkley. I had dinner in town tonight because I have nothing to cook with. It reminds me of lunch time where I ended up eating hummus on dry crackers while sitting on the kitchen counter. (I had no furniture.) Not very glamourous (or comfortable or delicious) but that’s life I guess.

I have no bed yet, so I’m sleeping on the floor for the night. Lying there, I can’t help feeling that the house is eerily quiet and dark knowing that I’m very alone. The apartment is not very sound proof and I can hear my upstairs neighbours coming home for the night, moving about and using the water – or at least I hope that’s what all those sounds are. Did I remember to lock the door? I get up to check. It’s not until I turn on the hall light outside my room and plug my ipod in my ears that I am able to fall asleep.

The next day is busy. We go and buy furniture and spend a small fortune on home wares and the such. My bed is very very basic, but it seems to make the room feel that much more home-like. I get carried away arranging all my belongings in the various cupboards and shelves in the house. I spend the next two nights alone again.

What I found out is, it’s not until you’ve made your first successful meal (this didn’t happen until the third day) that you really start to feel like a place is your home. Right now I’m pretty comfy hanging out in my flat. I wouldn’t recommend spending all day at home though, you feel bored, restless and not very great about yourself. The next day I went out bought yummy foods, went for a swim, and went out to play ultimate light-up frizbee in the evening… but more on that later.

The outside of my apartment:

My no bed:

My floor bed:

 

 

My not-quite-yet a bed:

My new actual bed!